Devotions For The Reconciled Life

'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ' Ephesians 6:12-13 'that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ' Ephesians 1:20-21 It is only Through Christ that we have the victory. Having grown up through the Cold War, I have come to expect proxy wars.  In the Cold War, the Soviets and the United States were always in an active war somewhere on earth, just hidden behind another country or group.  For instance, the Afghanistan wars of the 1980's starting wit...

'Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.' Ephesians 6:...

'And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' Matthew 6:7-13 'Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."' Luke 11:1-4 Many learn the Lord...

For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 Detail of Isaiah's vision of God from Martin Luther's German Bible (1525), woodcut. Who is God? He is God Almighty, Righteous, and Holy. He is unapproachable in our sinful state. A sinful man in the presence of the Holy God is doomed. But God took the initiative. God is so holy that man cannot even understand His name.  The transliteration of the Tetragrammaton of His name is YHWH.  He gave His name first to Moses.  When God took the initiative and came to us as the Christ, He chose a name above every name but so common no one would notice; Jesus. In the first century, Jesus or Yeshua was a common name given t...

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" Exodus 3:13 Israel had been in Egypt about 400 years.  Over that many generations, their understanding of their God had been corrupted.  They were unclear on who their God was.  Moses knew this.  His question seems self-evident, but it was essential for Moses to understand and Israel to know.  Moses did not go to the elders of the people and take a survey.  He wanted God to define God.  The people did not specify who God was. God didn’t respond by saying who do you think I should say that I am or should be? The Tetragrammaton in  Phoenician (12th century BCE to 150 BCE),  Paleo-Hebrew  (10th century BCE to 135 CE), and square  Hebrew  (3rd century BCE to present) scripts God said to Moses, " I am who I am . " And he s...

'One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure, the picture of good health, vigorous and fit. Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life. But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots.' Job 21:23-26 One of my favorite music groups of all time is a little-known group, House of Heroes .  I had them in for a fundraising concert several years ago.  Early in the show, they performed one of my favorite songs;  The Comfort Trap .  Here are just a few words from that song: I'm gonna get nice things and get my way Even if it means there's hell to pay I'm gonna have my cake and eat it too And what I don't eat I'm gonna force feed you I'm not looking for consolation Maybe I can settle for compensation Have my cake and eat it too And if it's all a lie, I'm gonna say it's all true It seems to be a universal state of our world that if what we think is a l...